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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27048259">Monsters &amp; Mastery</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/CGotAnAccount/pseuds/CGotAnAccount'>CGotAnAccount</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Voltron: Legendary Defender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Beastmaster Keith, Fluff, Halloween Costumes, M/M, Monsters &amp; Mana (Voltron), Paladin Shiro, SHEITH - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 19:41:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,730</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27048259</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/CGotAnAccount/pseuds/CGotAnAccount</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“Shiro... are you sure this is the entire costume?” Keith asks as he holds the little bundle of fabric in his hands, clearly skeptical that this isn't all some terrible joke. “There's no like... overcoat? Or... I dunno... pants?”</p>
<p>“I'm pretty sure, sweetheart.” Shiro summons his most innocent grin, careful not to let any hint of eager anticipation slip through and alert his boyfriend to his scheme. “That's the costume labeled 'Beast Master' – which is the character you picked off the list...”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Keith/Shiro (Voltron)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>115</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Monsters &amp; Mastery</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/an_aphorism/gifts">an_aphorism</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>For Aphor, who wanted Halloween shenanigans :)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Shiro... are you <em>sure</em> this is the entire costume?” Keith asks as he holds the little bundle of fabric in his hands, clearly skeptical that this isn't all some terrible joke. “There's no like... overcoat? Or... I dunno... pants?”</p>
<p>“I'm pretty sure, sweetheart.” Shiro summons his most innocent grin, careful not to let any hint of eager anticipation slip through and alert his boyfriend to his scheme. “That's the costume labeled 'Beast Master' – which is the character you picked off the list...”</p>
<p>What he doesn't say is that there were several variations available, and he took the liberty of deciding which one Keith would be joining their group costume in. It's only fair since he'd let Keith pick which variation of Paladin armor he'd be wearing tonight.</p>
<p>Admittedly, the crop top breastplate and chap-like codpiece combo still covers significantly more than the leather straps and tub of red paint that came with Keith's character. Not that that's going to stop Shiro from enjoying every moment of him in it tonight. Keith wouldn't let him commission erotic art of his character – claiming it was weird to have someone else draw them boning in cosplay – but now he's got the next best thing... he'll just have to convince Keith to join him in a little photoshoot later... and maybe get the results framed and hung above the mantle.</p>
<p>But that all depends on whether or not Keith plans to come out of the bathroom, and judging by the grunts of exasperation he might require a bit of coaxing.</p>
<p>“How's it going in there darling?” Shiro croons through the door, willing Keith to open it up and let him get a glimpse of him in that tiny loincloth. “Do you need any help?”</p>
<p>“Are you absolutely certain this is it?” Keith squeaks back, sounding more than a little strangled as he clatters something around by the sink. “Nothing else? Just.... just this?”</p>
<p>“Well, I have the jewelry still,” Shiro offers, hoping Keith can't hear the smug note in his voice as he plays with the leather cords in his hands. “I figured you might need help with the knots.”</p>
<p>There's a long drawn-out sigh from the other side, then the door swings open.</p>
<p>“What kind of jewelry?”</p>
<p>“Hhhhh-”</p>
<p>“Shiro?” Keith's brow wrinkles as he lets go of the door knob and steps forward to pluck the leather cords from Shiro's suddenly numb fingers. “Do these all go on my neck or what?”</p>
<p>“Hmm?” Shiro couldn't say for sure if Keith has a neck at that moment – completely unable to tear his eyes away from the lean expanse of rippling abs and thighs that could probably snap <em>his</em> neck. “Neck?”</p>
<p>“Shiro?” Keith prods again, leaning to get his face in Shiro's field of view with a judgmental huff. “Oh please... you've seen me in less than this.”</p>
<p>Which isn't incorrect... but there's something to be said for the way the itty-bitty loincloth just barely hides Keith's substantial package and the curve of his cheeks in the back... or the way the criss-crossing leather harness accentuates his chest.</p>
<p>“You still need the paint,” Shiro murmurs in lieu of an answer, vaguely dazed as he reaches around to pluck the container of red body paint off the sink, “need to finish the costume and all...”</p>
<p>“Yeah, <em>sure.</em>” Keith snorts but gamely lifts his arms, waiting as Shiro unscrews the top and scoops out a glob with his fingers. “Make me look tough, okay?”</p>
<p>“You always look tough,” Shiro assures him, laying a handprint squarely across Keith's heart with a silly grin. “<em>Mine.</em>”</p>
<p>“Yeah, yeah...”</p>
<p>The pink cheeks give Keith away though, despite his best efforts to seem too cool for Shiro's nerd costumes. It's fine, Shiro knows that Keith thinks it's silly... but if he's going to be honest this whole thing was a flimsy excuse to ogle his boyfriend all night. What kind of beast master doesn't even have scale mail or a hide pelt?</p>
<p>The sexy kind, Shiro decides as he continues to swipe whorls and claw marks all over his boyfriend's lean muscles. He steps back to eyeball his work critically, leaning in to daub and smear here and there... a swipe down the bridge of Keith's nose and a few scars on his face... it doesn't do a damn thing to hide how absofuckinglutely smoking hot he is.</p>
<p>“Alright, now we just gotta get this jewelry on you,” he grunts, stepping around Keith to wash the paint off his hands. “I think there's a necklace, two armbands, and a thigh holster.”</p>
<p>“A garter?” Keith throws him a flat look in the mirror as he holds it pinched between two fingers. “Really? What kind of beast am I taming again?”</p>
<p>“Mine, if your up for it later.” Shiro winks at him, preening as Keith barks out an unwilling laugh.</p>
<p>“That's not very holy of you, Mr. Paladin,” Keith snickers as he holds out his arm for Shiro to tie the straps. “Didn't you take a vow of chastity?”</p>
<p>“It's fulfilled upon death,” Shiro informs him haughtily, fingers making quick work of the knots before giving them a little tug to make sure they're not too tight, “and Jiro has died... eight times now? Nine?”</p>
<p>“Let's keep it at nine then,” Keith sighs, shaking his head and offering his other arm. “No dying on my watch now, right?”</p>
<p>“You'd bring me back anyway.” Shiro dips to press a kiss to the tip of his boyfriend's nose, careful not to smudge the drying red paint there. “True Love's Kiss, right?”</p>
<p>“Is that really a thing?” Keith huffs an almost shy laugh, eyes crinkling as he glances up at Shiro through his lashes. “I can just bring you back any time because I love you so much?”</p>
<p>“Well, you already did once, to be fair.” Shiro shrugs at him, finishing the other arm band before slipping the fang and bone necklace over Keith's braided hair. “I'm pretty sure they had to give you the spell after that.”</p>
<p>“That's right.” Keith crosses his arms over his chest, biceps straining the cords tied around them as he gives Shiro a particularly self satisfied smirk. “Not even death can take you from me now.”</p>
<p>“Of course not, baby,” Shiro assures him, dropping to his knees and tapping Keith's ankle to get him to lift his leg, “not when my big strong man is here to save me from distress.”</p>
<p>“You would make a pretty cute damsel,” Keith muses, steadying himself with a hand on Shiro's shoulder as he slides the leather holster up and up, until Shiro's knuckles are in danger of treading places that will make them quite late to the party. “Maybe we should've gotten you a gown... maybe one of those corsets with the open bodice... and a nice long slit up the thigh...”</p>
<p>“You don't like my armor?” Shiro pouts up at him, tipping forward to lean his cheek against Keith's thigh, “I thought it makes me look good.”</p>
<p>“If I liked it any more I wouldn't let you wear it out of the bedroom,” Keith soothes, reaching down to cup Shiro's cheek where the tiniest hint of stubble scratches at the ticklish skin of his inner thigh. “I'm a big fan of the marble statue under it too.”</p>
<p>Shiro preens up at him, turning to press a kiss to Keith's knee as he finishes tightening the leather straps around his thigh. “Thanks sweetheart. You think that'll hold your knife?”</p>
<p>Keith gives it a test flex, making the band creak ominously in response. “Eeeh... I'll probably just stick it in the back.”</p>
<p>“That's my plan for later.”</p>
<p>“Pfffft-” Keith thwaps him in the chest with the back of his hand as Shiro rises from the floor, hooking his finger in Keith's loincloth to drag him closer. “Is that how I tame the beast then? Ride it until it can't go another round?”</p>
<p>“That's for me to know and you to find out,” Shiro purrs, pressing his smile into Keith's as he lets his fingertips ghost over the tacky whorls of paint on his hips, “but I'm sure you'll find a way, baby... you always do.”</p>
<p>“Charmer.” Keith nips at his lip, letting his canines catch with just the slightest tug before pulling away with a smirk. “Come on, we don't want to be late, right?”</p>
<p>Shiro can only gust out a put-upon sigh, quietly weighing the penalty for showing up late and smudged in Keith's red paint against the pleasure of giving in to the incarnation of temptation itself, currently drumming long fingers against his breastplate.</p>
<p>“Next year we're having the party here,” he grumbles without much heat, stepping back and sliding his palm up Keith's flank until he can tangle their fingers together. “Then when I want to bend you over the counter I can just lock the door and not let them in until we're done.”</p>
<p>“This was your idea,” Keith reminds him, cheeky in more than one way as he sashays out of the bathroom and into their foyer to grab Kosmo. “You wanted to have game night on Halloween so you all could be your characters, and I said-”</p>
<p>“Yeah I <em>know</em> what you said,” Shiro cuts him off, blushing furiously as Keith alludes to the french maid costume still in the back of their closet, “but I'm saving that one for special occasions.”</p>
<p>The lace on the bodice is itchy as hell and he'd nearly torn the damn thing off before his boyfriend even got home when he wore it for the first time on Keith's birthday... thankfully Keith was just as eager to remove it, but Shiro can't say he's exactly looking forward to squeezing himself into it again. Especially not where their friends can see.</p>
<p>“You know, I'm turning thirty in a little less than twelve months,” Keith teases, like he can read Shiro's mind, “maybe we should stay in and celebrate.”</p>
<p>“Dearest.” Shiro closes his eyes and sucks in a steadying breath. “Darling, love of my life, man of my dreams, keeper of my heart and fondler of my loins... I did not spend half an hour convincing Kosmo to stay still while I put a costume on him just to give up now and fuck the sass out of you.”</p>
<p>He cracks one eye open in a glare when Keith sputters into a round of laughter, dropping to his knees to give Kosmo a hug.</p>
<p>“Kos, I think daddy is a little grumpy that you took so long to get cute,” he stage whispers into one fluffy ear, adjusting the extra floofy mane around his neck and the giant scaly paw covers as Kosmo whips his tail back and forth, nearly catching Shiro's knees with the foam stinger on the end. “I told him you're a big scary beast all on your own, but nooo...”</p>
<p>“Don't turn our son against me.” Shiro pouts, nudging Keith with his steel-clad toe. “We could've been finished with him in seconds if you had asked him to stop teleporting away.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, but it was funnier this way.” Keith sticks his tongue out, the perfect twin to Kosmo's doggy smile – a beast and his master all ready to hunt down and capture Shiro's heart.</p>
<p>“You two are so cute,” he sighs, unable to hold a grudge against his two favorite boys. “I don't know how I'm going to make it through the night.”</p>
<p>“Patience yields focus, Mr. Paladin.” Keith grins and ribs him as he hauls himself up to his feet. “I think they teach you that at the cathedral or whatever.”</p>
<p>“The cathedral,” Shiro scoffs, sheathing his overly large prop sword on his back and offering Keith his knife, “you didn't even read my backstory.”</p>
<p>“I did!” Keith protests immediately, torn between scrunching his face up at Shiro and not slicing his loincloth off with the knife trying to hang it somewhere. “Your master died... something something demon lord.... something something.... hot armor?”</p>
<p>“Close enough.”</p>
<p>Keith sticks his tongue out at him before giving up and tucking the knife into the thigh holster, grimacing at the way it hangs, and for a moment Shiro almost regrets buying such a skimpy costume for his boyfriend... but then Keith turns around and lays a hand on Kosmo's head, looking over his shoulder in one spectacular line of ogling material. “Ready?”</p>
<p>“Ready.” Shiro clanks his way to Keith's side, laying his hand on Kosmo's flank as he prepares himself for the disorienting sensation of being turned inside out through his belly button. Honestly he would have preferred to walk, but Keith's costume didn't quite call for shoes...</p>
<p>“Alright Kos, take us to Hunk's place.”</p>
<p>Shiro feels his ears pop milliseconds after the sharp tang of ozone hits his nose – then that weird squeamish tug – and they find themselves deposited safely in Hunk's entryway with Kosmo looking up at them with his happy doggy grin.</p>
<p>“Good boy,” Keith leans down to ruffle his ears as he coos to him like a baby. “You're so smart, Kos... you're such a good beast.”</p>
<p>“Jesus <em>christ,</em>” Lance yelps as he leans around the wall from the kitchen, slapping a hand to cover his eyes with a grimace, “I did <em>not</em> need to see that much of mullet's ass today.”</p>
<p>“Then don't look at it,” Keith huffs, rising to his feet and strolling into the open kitchen like he's not mostly nude. “What are you supposed to be again? A werebadger?”</p>
<p>Shiro knows that he knows exactly what Lance is supposed to be, because he'd been making fun of it around the house for the last week, but if the barely contained smirk isn't enough to give his boyfriend away he's sure not going to do it.</p>
<p>“What?! Hello, I'm a ninja-assassin!” Lance scoffs, gesturing down himself with a flourish, like that'll help his case at all when there's a limp tail hanging from the back of his pants. “What are <em>you</em> supposed to be, a stripper?”</p>
<p>“He's a beast master,” Shiro cuts in, stepping up to curl an arm around Keith's waist and gesturing to Kosmo with the other hand. “Can't you tell from our adorable wyvern?”</p>
<p>“Oooh, extra points for Kosmo!” Hunk croons, bustling over to the counter to fish some doggy treats out of the jar. “I love family costumes, so cute.”</p>
<p>Kosmo accepts the treats with a wet slurp to Hunk's hand before trotting off to go curl up in the doggy bed that Keith bought for each of his friends, apparently done with his duties for the night.</p>
<p>“Thanks Hunk.” Keith beams at him, then gestures to his chin. “Is that glued on, or...?”</p>
<p>“Nah, he grew it overnight,” Pidge teases, clanking around the corner with a ghost-shaped cookie in each gauntlet. “Did the steel moths eat the rest of your armor there, Jiro?”</p>
<p>“Yes,” Shiro sniffs primly, smoothing his palms down his cropped breastplate with as much dignity as he can muster. “You're lucky I managed to save the codpiece.”</p>
<p>“We wouldn't be here if he hadn't,” Keith grunts, making a beeline for the rest of the cookies as their friends grimace behind them. “Where's Allura and Matt?”</p>
<p>“They're setting up the board with Coran,” Lance sighs, eyes going all gooey. “You should see her costume – stunning, as always.”</p>
<p>“I'm sure.” Shiro nods, clapping him on the back as he follows Keith toward the goodies. “She's been practicing with that bow all month.”</p>
<p>“Dedication to authenticity is admirable,” Hunk chimes in, jerking a thumb toward his own staff. “Which is why I have a big stick. How hard can thunking be?”</p>
<p>The conversation devolves into squabbled semantics from there, but Shiro can't be bothered to care when his half naked boyfriend is perched on a stool munching cookies like the world's most adorable squirrel.</p>
<p>“Got a favorite?” he asks, hooking his chin over Keith's shoulder just to press a kiss to his cheek.</p>
<p>“Mhmmm,” Keith hums through a mouthful of cookie, cheeks puffed and eyes scrunched in a happy smile. “'ry 'iff 'un.” He lifts the rest of his bite to Shiro's mouth, swiping a crumb away as Shiro munches in his ear.</p>
<p>“S'good, blueberry?”</p>
<p>Keith shrugs, reaching for another one. “And maybe lemon?”</p>
<p>“You're not gonna fit your loincloth by the end of the night at this rate,” Shiro teases him, sliding his hands down to cup Keith's lean abs.</p>
<p>“I'm not gonna be staying in it much longer if I can help it.” Keith tosses him a wicked grin and licks the icing off his thumb indecently, no doubt for the sheer pleasure of shrinking Shiro's codpiece a size or two.</p>
<p>“Don't make me get the hose,” Pidge warns them as she comes clanking back into the kitchen to grab the tray of cookies, “we're about to start and it's not <em>that</em> kind of adventure game.”</p>
<p>Keith sticks his tongue out at her but obligingly hops down from the stool, grabbing two more platters of snacks and handing one to Shiro as they make their way into the living room for the game.</p>
<p>“Wow, Hunk...” Shiro stops in the doorway, wide-eyed as he admires the giant oak table in the middle of the room and rustic bench seats surrounding it. “You really went all out on the decorations.”</p>
<p>“Thanks Shiro,” Hunk puffs out his chest as he points out the little hanging bats and witches coming down from the ceiling. “Matt and Coran helped too.”</p>
<p>“That's right, my boy!” Coran crows from the dungeon master's spot, swooping his cape with a flourish at surface in front of him that's carved with all sorts of sigils. “We've been here since the crack of dawn making sure this adventure is the best yet!”</p>
<p>“Are both of you going to be running it then?” Keith asks, plopping himself down on a bench and shoving the snacks into the center. “How does that work?”</p>
<p>“Nah, I'm just rolling for the goblins... can't you tell?” Matt honks out through a giant fake nose, his whole face painted green and mottled yellow to match his gnarled claw gloves. “I finally found my people.”</p>
<p>“You don't look any different to me,” Pidge snipes as she settles in next to him, raking handfuls of popcorn over to her side of the table. “You just didn't shower today, judging by the smell.”</p>
<p>“I think his costume is wonderful,” Allura beams over Lance's pouting head, drawing the most ridiculous heart-eyes from the resident goblin. “It's nearly an exact replica of the lizard-people on Vloraxia.”</p>
<p>“That's what I was going for,” Matt assures her, wiggling his massive bushy eyebrows even as Pidge elbows him in the gut.</p>
<p>Hunk shares a weary look with Shiro over the rest of their friends as he brings a tray of pies and a stack of plates to the table. “All day...”</p>
<p>“Alright!” Coran claps his hands as everyone settles onto their bench seats, spreading his cape with a dramatic flare. “Let the adventure begin!”</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>The adventure ends several hours later, and Shiro wishes he had brought a holy pillow for his paladin to sit on.</p>
<p>Ever resourceful, Keith had simply moved from the unforgiving bench into Shiro's lap, apparently impervious to the bite of the metal against his ass as he shifted around distractingly for hours. It's not exactly unpleasant, but it certainly tempted him from his holy vows a time or two.</p>
<p>Getting kissed back to life three times didn't help the situation much either.</p>
<p>“I'm pretty sure there's a day long cooldown on that spell,” Lance grumbles as he and the others stand to stretch their sore limbs, “isn't it kind of over powered that Keith can just tongue-fuck him back to life every time?”</p>
<p>“Rules are rules,” Coran intones, shutting his tome with a definitive thud. “Until next time adventurers... when we face the goblin king himself!”</p>
<p>“Does that mean you're coming next time too?” Keith asks Matt, not bothering to remove himself from Shiro's lap quite yet. “I've missed your ugly mug lately.”</p>
<p>“You can come down to the labs anytime you want, Mr. Bigshot Blade Leader,” Matt reminds him, scratching off flakes of green paint from his eyelid with a grimace. “But yeah, I'll be there.... probably without all this though.”</p>
<p>“It's a good look.” Shiro smirks at his friend, wiggling his own eyebrows as Matt's slowly detaches under its own weight. “You should wear it every day.”</p>
<p>“Only if Keith keeps the buttflap on.” Matt winks back at him, smirk growing a few molars when Shiro's arms clamp around Keith's waist out of habit. “You seem to like it well enough.”</p>
<p>“He's the only one,” Keith grunts, clicking his tongue to summon his good boy wyvern. “C'mon Kos, we're about ready to go home.”</p>
<p>“Don't forget to take a pie!” Hunk calls from the kitchen, shaking his staff through the doorway. “I made one for everyone!”</p>
<p>They say their goodbyes and Shiro dutifully scoots a pie closer to them, tangling his hand in Kosmo's fur as he trots over to plunk down beside them with a yawn. “Take us home boy?”</p>
<p>And just like that they're on the floor of their own house in a pile of dog and boys, the pie safely plunked down a few feet away.</p>
<p>“Well,” Shiro grunts as he reaches up to cradle Keith's giggling form. “That's the last time I teleport anywhere sitting down.”</p>
<p>“Sorry,” Keith offers, sounding anything but. “I couldn't really stand up without giving everyone a show.”</p>
<p>“Oh?” Shiro rolls them, hovering above his paint-smeared boyfriend as he takes in the disheveled costume... and the obvious interest barely contained inside. “<em>Oh.</em>”</p>
<p>“Yeah.” Keith grins up at him, lifting his hips to grind against Shiro's codpiece. “Two hours in the lap of a sexy paladin will do that.”</p>
<p>“Well, I'm about ready to cast aside my holy raiment if you're still looking for a beast to tame.”</p>
<p>“Keep it on... but lose the codpiece, big guy.” Keith hooks a leg around Shiro's hip and lets his head fall back with the challenging smirk that Shiro fell in love with years ago. “I'm ready to see god.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Later, after beast and master alike have been thoroughly tamed, Shiro sneaks into the closet and balls up the other scratchy lacy costume, replacing it with his paint-smeared half-suit of armor. After all, why be a sexy maid when you can be a sexy paladin?</p>
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